WORKSHOP: Non-Destructive Testing for Deep Foundations (Pavia, Italy)
February 10, 2026 - Eucentre, Pavia (Italy)
The course aims to provide participants with a comprehensive and integrated overview of nondestructive testing (NDT) techniques applied to deep foundations, illustrating the theoretical principles, operational methodologies, and the most advanced applications for the diagnosis and quality control of foundation piles. The first part of the course will review the fundamental concepts of pile design, including static formulas and the principles of elastic wave propagation in one-dimensional structural elements, essential for understanding the physical mechanisms underlying dynamic and sonic tests. The second part of the course will focus on the dynamic design of driven piles, with reference to dynamic formulas and the use of high-deformation tests to assess the bearing capacity of piles. This will be followed by an illustration of the main nondestructive methodologies currently used for the diagnosis of deep foundations:
- Thermal integrity profiling
- Crosshole sonic logging
- Low-strain integrity testing